Hewing Hatchet Handled... and Rehandled

[Bibliophile 13]

You folks will appreciate this little hand tool saga. 


So I have this hewing hatchet, which I use quite a lot when I'm cutting up logs to saw up into boards on the bandsaw.  (Got to have a relatively flat face to sit on the bandsaw table, after all.)  



It's a nice tool and takes a keen edge. 

When I got it some years ago, it had a short handle, and it was mounted on the handle such that the bevel was on the wrong side for the work I was going to use it for.  



Here it is next to the original handle--for comparison.  I made the new handle you see above, and I used it for a few years.  It was the right length, but the more I used it, the more I realized I had shaved it too thin.  My hand cramped every time I used it for more than a few minutes.

This winter, I decided it was time to redo my old work and make a new, thicker handle for this hatchet.   

I selected what I thought was a very nice piece of pecan--straight grained and bone dry.  



I meticulously laid out the handle shape, planed the blank to thickness, and started shaping the contours with a spokeshave.  I worked slowly and meticulously, trying to get everything shaped just right for my hand.  

As I was shaping the part that goes into the head (there's probably a technical term for it--one of you can enlighten me), I thought the wood was shaving off a little too easily for pecan.  Oh well, I thought, I may as well get the handle fitted since I've come this far.  

I was nearly through driving the head home when this happened: 



Yep, the handle broke right off!  


I'm not sure what went wrong, but this piece of pecan turned out to be too brittle for this application.  I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that the growth rings are so close together, or perhaps it just stayed wet a little too long before drying out.  In any event, I had to start over (on handle #3).  

Back to the wood pile.  I found a straight piece of pecan from a different tree.  

I worked faster this time, since I already had a good idea of how I wanted the handle to feel in my hand.  It still took me another hour or so before the handle was exactly as I wanted it.  

I started to tap the handle into the new head when I realized that I was putting it on upside down!  



I drove the head back off the handle in disgust. 





Ah, well, I found a spot where I could shave it down a little more in order to make the head go on a little more easily.  

So ONCE MORE I tapped the head on.

And this time, everything went together properly. Finally!





A little Danish oil to bring out the color and give a bit of protection from moisture, and this hatchet is ready for some cutting action.

[Stwood_]

Ah, so the third time was a charm. Looks good.

Did you use a wedge on the top end? If so wood or metal wedge?

[C. in Indy]

I feel somewhat better now...   This past summer I re-hafted a hatchet, and I also put the head on upside-down

In my case, it will have to stay that way!   Will pursue another one another time


Chris

[Admiral]

BTDT in slightly different circumstances............................ Good job on the handle.

[Bibliophile 13]

Stwood: Both, actually. After the wooden wedge was in, there was s slight gap on each side, so I put in a metal wedge to finally secure everything.

[Arlin Eastman]

Stwood: Both, actually. After the wooden wedge was in, there was s slight gap on each side, so I put in a metal wedge to finally secure everything.

Good thing you did not put the head on the wrong side like a carving hatchet with only one side.